


Photographic Memories

by Freeverse21



Category: Personal - Fandom, freeform - Fandom
Genre: Inspiration, Love, Other, Random - Freeform, Romance, lake, personal, ring, sand, sunset
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 12:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11081883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freeverse21/pseuds/Freeverse21
Summary: Just a random warm up piece I have written and would like some feedback on





	Photographic Memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My forever crush](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+forever+crush).



“Do you remember?” You ask as I feel your body shift closer to me. I hold the picture in one hand and the small box in the other. My eyes, I can feel them showing you the confusion I was feeling. Your camera lens, I feel it on my body and I know my cheeks are tinged red. ‘What are you doing?’ I want to ask. ‘What is this all about?’  
“Of course I remember, “I giggle nervously finally forming words, the room was beginning to feel extremely warm and I know it was not because of the warm glow of the Christmas tree. I could feel my heart racing and my palms getting sweaty. “I took the picture; it’s one of my favorites.” I smile, nervously, of course.  
You only look at me and smile through your camera lens; of course that sends my mind back. Back to when pictures of beautiful scenery were the only thing that could make me smile.  
Until that day.

The colors of a sunset; full of warmth and promise of another day. The blue of day fading to purples, oranges and beautiful pinks, almost like watercolors painted across the sky. The brightness of the golden sun fading to a warm orange as it touches the trees off in the distance, casting a shadow along the lakes wake. Its reflection teasing my eyes within the waters’ waves dancing, almost, to the beating of my heart.  
Snap!  
My camera lens captures the moment before me. It is a moment that my heart would never be able to forget, no matter how much the vision in my mind faded.  
Pulling the clip up on my digital camera, I stare into the image of perfection before me. I was no professional photographer, that was for sure, but it was all that this image didn’t say that I saw. The saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ was an understatement. This image stood for so much more than just that; a sunset. Including the tires I heard behind me churning the gravel in the parking lot.  
I let out a long sigh trying to calm the beating of my heart. To make my voice sound even, I cough a little to clear my throat. For some reason, I felt that would tell me the next move I should make. However, I knew deep down, that wasn’t the case.  
At first I didn’t move, I wasn’t entirely sure what I should do. To wait and hope for a companion by the water to admire the sunset with or to walk up the grassy lawn covered with beautiful fall leaves to the approaching vehicle. I couldn’t help the smile that graced my lips… at the thought of the sunset? That fact, I couldn’t be entirely sure of. My thoughts had been preoccupied as of late and at that moment, my heart skipped a beat. My mind had been made and I could feel my foot pivot and sink into the sand of the beach below me. I had been promised a beautiful picture, after all.  
Fallen leaves crunch under my boots as I make my way up the grassy lawn. A nervous giggle escapes my lips as I reach behind me and dust the sand off of the back of my legs and I adjust my loose t-shirt. Suddenly all of the sounds around me become background noise and all I can hear is my own uneven breathing and a car door slamming up ahead.  
I was starting to feel giddy and I wasn’t even near the parked car yet. This was the first time I had ever let someone join me at my favorite place. Not that it was extremely private, it was a campground but, on the off season it was quiet and beautiful. The leaves were changing. There were no loud, screaming children or splashing in the distant pool, or campers pulling up and checking in for the weekend. There was just me, and the beauty in all that was fall weather.  
And now, accompanying me was this green jeep and its driver that was waiting for me ahead, of course. This was my get away from reality.  
“Hey.” I almost didn’t hear it at first it was so soft, but the sound made my heart skip. Just like those stupid romance novels, who knew that they could actually be accurate?  
“Hey, think you can beat this view?” I challenge, gesturing to the water and reflecting sunset behind me. My heart was racing and I was happy to be walking this way you couldn’t see the nervous shake of my hand.  
You just smile and open the driver’s side of your jeep and go to get in. Taking that as my cue to hurry, I pick up my pace and make my way around to the passenger’s side. 

\----------------

Of course, the details of that car ride were blurred, I was a nervous wreck and you fiddled with your iPod to find good songs to play, which allowed me to think that you were nervous as well. By the time we got to where you had wanted to take me the sun wasn’t in the right place; or so you had said. However, I would never admit this out loud, the place you had taken me was gorgeous and it would also be the place, where in the future we would make lots of memories and it would become one of my favorite places to go with you.  
“I feel like the sunset is kind of our thing, yanno?” You were fidgeting, just like you had on that day three years back.  
“I agree.” It was true, we had seen many together within the last couple years. When we weren’t together, there were many I had watched alone and thought of you, so I understood what you meant. These simple acts of nature had been something that had seen both the good and bad of our relationship.  
“Are you going to open it?” Your eyes glance down to the box I had forgotten in my hand. My mind was filled with the beginning memories of us, all the things that led us to where we were today, in our own home surrounded by our fur children who were currently eating the wrapping paper which neither of us was paying attention to. We were both in our own world, both staring down at the maroon box in my hand and the photograph beside it.  
“Oh, yeah, I am.” I swallow and stare deeply into the tied ribbon on top, almost willing it to untie itself.  
“Well, what are you waiting for? Next Christmas?”  
“Maybe I am!” Our light banter made the atmosphere ‘less thick’, so to speak as I put the picture down and got the courage to untie the bow, slowly. I open the box and staring back at me is the most precious stone I have ever seen.  
“Do you know what it is?” You ask.  
The stone was a mix between purple, pink and orange; such an odd combination, I know, I thought the same thing. It had five rows of diamonds sprouting from the top of it all held together by a thick sturdy band. I wasn’t quite sure what it was.  
“I’m not really sure.” I admit finally looking up into your face. You looked a little sad and I instantly felt horrible that I wasn’t sure.  
“Now, it’s not an engagement ring, because we both know that I don’t have money for that, but it’s more like a promise. I promise that we will spend as many sunsets together as we possibly can.” You say as you watch me carefully trying to figure out what I am thinking. “It’s supposed to be a sunset.”  
It was in that moment that I saw it, the stone was a sunset topaz, its colors a warm mix of pink, orange and purple; just like the sky at sunset. Just like that day, when I had taken the picture of the sunset before you had met me at the campground; the day my life truly changed for the better. No one would truly understand the meaning behind the picture, or the ring that I had finally slid onto the ring finger of my right hand except you and me.  
The picture would always signify the day I took a leap of faith and took a chance with the unknown and also, the beginning of the rest of my life with you.


End file.
